. >> reporter: john goodwin of the humane society of the united states, he recognizes the signs of an illegal dog fighting operation. when he watched our video tape, he saw a lot of red flags. >> what we're looking at there is a treadmill that will be designed for them to fight. along with the harnesses and the heavy chains and the brutal device. >> and this is really a torture device. because that dog, they have gotten the neck held down. her waist held down in another. sometimes she would rather fight so what they will do is trap her down to the contraption so she is forcibly bread. he has an extensive criminal history. including charges of wreckless management and along with weapons and drug charges. >> this is a violent subculture. it is a felony. now with the help of the prince gorge's county attorney's office, what happened with the first-degree murder charges there. it is still unclear whether or not they were convicted or whether or not the charges were dropped. >> there's a pattern. >>> the department of the environment and several other local fire systems are keeping a close